U.S. patent number 9,733,264 [Application Number 14/565,001] was granted by the patent office on 2017-08-15 for supply module for an automated analyzer.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Roche Molecular Systems, Inc.. The grantee listed for this patent is Roche Molecular Systems, Inc.. Invention is credited to Urs Knecht, Siegfried Mueller, Markus Rinderknecht.
United States Patent |
9,733,264 |
Knecht , et al. |
August 15, 2017 |
Supply module for an automated analyzer
Abstract
A method is described for supplying consumables to an automated
analyzer by providing at least one reagent and at least one solid
consumable from a supply module which is docked to the analyzer,
followed by undocking the supply module from the analyzer and
removing it therefrom. Also described is a respective system and a
supply module for supplying consumables to an automated
analyzer.
Inventors: |
Knecht; Urs (Pfaeffikon,
CH), Mueller; Siegfried (Meierskappel, CH),
Rinderknecht; Markus (Adligenswil, CH) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Roche Molecular Systems, Inc. |
Pleasanton |
CA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Roche Molecular Systems, Inc.
(Pleasanton, CA)
|
Family
ID: |
49816828 |
Appl.
No.: |
14/565,001 |
Filed: |
December 9, 2014 |
Prior Publication Data
|
|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20150093834 A1 |
Apr 2, 2015 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01N
35/0099 (20130101); G01N 35/1002 (20130101); G01N
35/04 (20130101); Y10T 436/11 (20150115); G01N
2035/0498 (20130101); G01N 2035/00346 (20130101); G01N
35/00871 (20130101); G01N 2035/0465 (20130101); G01N
2035/00891 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G01N
35/00 (20060101); G01N 35/04 (20060101); G01N
35/10 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;422/63-67
;436/43-54 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0517092 |
|
Dec 1992 |
|
EP |
|
0632271 |
|
Jan 1995 |
|
EP |
|
2009062722 |
|
May 2009 |
|
WO |
|
Primary Examiner: Soderquist; Arlen
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Ancona; Pamela C.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method for supplying consumables to an automated analyzer
comprising a housing, the method comprising the steps of: (a)
providing a supply module comprising, (i) a control unit comprising
sensors for liquid level detection and for determining the presence
or absence of one or more types of solid consumables in the supply
module; (ii) a predefined geometrical arrangement comprising at
least one reagent and at least one set of solid consumables,
wherein a set of solid consumables comprises one or more solid
consumables of the same type; and (iii) a mount for reversibly
docking the supply module to the analyzer; (b) reversibly docking
the supply module to the analyzer using said mount and a receiving
interface comprised by the housing of the analyzer; (c) supplying
from the supply module to the analyzer at least one reagent and at
least one solid consumable; (d) monitoring liquid levels and the
presence or absence of said one or more types of solid consumables
in the supply module; and (e) undocking the supply module from the
analyzer and removing it therefrom.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the supply module further
comprises at least one waste container, and step (c) further
comprises collecting waste from the analyzer in at least one waste
container of the supply module.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein step (b) further comprises
establishing a fluidic connection between the supply module and the
analyzer, and step further comprises detaching said fluid
connection between the supply module and the analyzer.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising after step (e)
exchanging or re-filling at least one solid consumable and at least
one reagent within the supply module and repeating steps (b) to
(e).
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one set of solid
consumables within the supply module comprises one or more of the
following solid consumables: reaction vessels, pipette tips, sample
tubes, cuvettes, caps for reaction vessels, caps for sample tubes,
and/or filters.
6. A system for supplying consumables to an automated analyzer, the
system comprising the following modules: a supply module
comprising, (i) a control unit comprising sensors for liquid level
detection and for determining the presence or absence of one or
more types of solid consumables in the supply module; (ii) a
predefined geometrical arrangement comprising at least one reagent
and at least one set of solid consumables, wherein a set of solid
consumables comprises one or more solid consumables of the same
type; and (iii) a mount for reversibly docking the supply module to
the analyzer; an automated analyzer comprising a housing, the
housing comprising a receiving interface for the supply module; a
work cell within the automated analyzer, the work cell being
adapted to process a biological sample that may contain an analyte;
and a transfer module comprising a robotic transferring device for
retrieving the at least one reagent and/or the solid consumables
from the supply module and transporting the at least one reagent
and/or the solid consumables within the automated analyzer.
7. The system of claim 6, wherein the supply module further
comprises at least one waste container, and the transfer module is
further adapted to collect waste from the analyzer in at least one
waste container of the supply module.
8. The system of claim 7, wherein a fluidic connection between the
supply module and the analyzer is arranged to supply reagent from
the supply module to the analyzer and/or to collect fluid waste
from the analyzer in at least one liquid waste container of the
supply module.
9. The system of claim 7, further comprising an electronic visual
display on the supply module and/or the automated analyzer.
10. The system of claim 7, further comprising an electronic
communication link between the supply module and the automated
analyzer.
11. A supply module for supplying consumables to an automated
analyzer, the supply module comprising: a control unit comprising
sensors for liquid level detection and for determining the presence
or absence of one or more types of solid consumables in the supply
module; at least one reagent and at least one set of solid
consumables in a predefined geometrical arrangement, wherein a set
of solid consumables comprises one or more solid consumables of the
same type; and a mount for reversibly docking the supply module to
the automated analyzer.
12. The supply module of claim 11, further comprising at least one
waste container.
13. The supply module of claim 11, further comprising a steering
unit for autonomously or semi-autonomously moving the supply
module.
14. The supply module of claim 11, further comprising wheels.
15. The supply module of claim 11, further comprising a cooling
unit.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present application claims the benefit of priority under 35
U.S.C. .sctn.119 of EP 13197212.7, filed Dec. 13, 2013, the content
of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present disclosure relates to the field of analytics, and in
particular to methods, systems, and supply modules for loading
solid and liquid consumables into systems for analyzing biological
samples, such as automated analyzers.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Analytical instruments in the field of in-vitro diagnostics,
especially high-throughput analyzers, consume a high quantity of
consumables within a relatively short period of time. Existing
systems often require both consumable solid parts and liquids. The
consumable solid parts include reaction vessels like plates or
tubes in which samples are provided to the instrument and in which
they are processed and analyzed. Liquid consumables include
reagents for interacting with liquid samples and initiating
biochemical reactions eventually leading to analysis of the
samples. Liquid consumables may be provided within bulk containers
or reagent cassettes. Solid as well as liquid consumables are
usually separately loaded onto the system prior to use and removed
therefrom in the same way after assay completion. Hence, analytical
apparatuses commonly require loading of solid consumables and
reagents within reagent containers in order to be able to perform
the analytical process. These supplies are transported to and
loaded onto the system, and, after usage, constitute waste that has
to be removed from the system and discarded.
Especially in the case of high-throughput analyzers causing a high
rate of test material consumption and, accordingly, a high
production of waste, the above-described separate loading is
typically labor-intensive and time-consuming. The process requires
time slots during which processing or analysis of biological
samples is idle and the user is occupied with the system. Moreover,
user-system-interactions can be error-prone and necessitate
specially trained personnel. Especially clinical samples, including
the respective waste, often contain infectious biomaterial such as
viruses or pathogenic bacteria. The samples, on the other hand,
often need to be prevented from being cross-contaminated with other
analytes in order not to cause false-positive results, particularly
in the case of highly sensitive analysis methods such as Polymerase
Chain Reaction (PCR) or immunochemical assays. In this context,
manual waste handling steps may constitute an important safety
issue since the risk of contamination for both system and user is
increased. Furthermore, supply and waste collection units
functionally coupled to the system with the aim of reducing manual
handling steps usually take up extra space and require further
automated transfer mechanisms.
Overall, processing speed as well as analytical flexibility are
reduced significantly. This represents a major issue especially in
the high-throughput sector, where the total system downtime due to
resourcing plays an increasingly important role for operational as
well as economical reasons.
Existing approaches include the usage of reagent packs. For
instance, WO 2009/062722 discloses an analytical device which is
supplied with liquids by a fluid pack, the latter carrying waste
containers for fluid waste produced within the analyzer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one embodiment, a method is provided for supplying consumables
to an automated analyzer having a housing. This method commences
with providing a supply module including in a predefined
geometrical arrangement at least one reagent and at least one set
of solid consumables, and further including a mount for reversibly
docking the supply module to the analyzer. The supply module is
then reversibly docked to the analyzer using said mount and a
receiving interface comprised by the housing of the analyzer.
Further, at least one reagent and at least one solid consumable are
supplied from the supply module to the analyzer prior to undocking
the supply module from the analyzer and removing it therefrom. As
detailed herein, the supply module having both a solid and a liquid
consumable facilitates the workflow in an analytical system,
reduces down-time and user intervention, and increases analytical
throughput.
In another embodiment, a system is provided for supplying
consumables to an automated analyzer. Said system includes a supply
module having in a predefined geometrical arrangement at least one
reagent and at least one set of solid consumables, and also a mount
for reversibly docking the supply module to the automated analyzer.
The system further includes an automated analyzer having a housing,
the housing having a receiving interface for the supply module.
Also included in the system is a work cell within the automated
analyzer, the work cell being adapted to process a biological
sample that may contain an analyte, and a robotic transferring
device within the automated analyzer for retrieving the at least
one reagent and/or the solid consumables from the supply module and
transporting the at least one reagent and/or the solid consumables
within the automated analyzer.
In another embodiment, a supply module is provided for supplying
consumables to an automated analyzer, the supply module having at
least one reagent and at least one set of solid consumables in a
predefined geometrical arrangement, as well as a mount for
reversibly docking the supply module to the automated analyzer.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
Other and further objects, features and advantages of the
embodiments will appear more fully from the following description.
The accompanying drawings, together with the general description
given above and the detailed description given below, serve to
explain the principles of the embodiments.
FIGS. 1A-B show an exploded view of the components which make up an
example of a device and a system including the device. FIG. 1A
shows an exploded view of the components of a supply module (1) and
FIG. 1B shows a system for supplying consumables to an automated
analyzer wherein the system includes a supply module (1) having, in
a predefined geometrical arrangement, at least one reagent and at
least one set of solid consumables, as well as a mount (4) for
reversibly docking the supply module to the automated analyzer
(24). The analyzer (24) includes a housing (25) comprising a
receiving interface (26) for the supply module. The system also
includes a work cell (27) within the analyzer, as well as a
transfer module (28) having a robotic transferring device (29) for
retrieving and transporting a reagent and/or consumable from the
supply module within the automated analyzer. The mounts (4) may be
engaged by corresponding recesses within the analyzer (30). The
system also includes a fluidic connection (31) between the supply
module and the analyzer, e.g., via the tubes (22) that extend from
the ports to and through the mounts and through a port in the
respective recesses of the analyzer. Also included is an electronic
communication link (32) between the supply module and the analyzer.
Moreover, the system also includes an electronic visual display
(33) on the supply module and/or the automated analyzer.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
By way of illustration, specific exemplary embodiments in which the
invention may be practiced now are described.
In one embodiment,
In a first aspect, a method is described for supplying consumables
to an automated analyzer comprising a housing, the method
comprising the steps of:
a) providing a supply module comprising in a predefined geometrical
arrangement at least one reagent and at least one set of solid
consumables, and further comprising a mount for reversibly docking
the supply module to the analyzer
b) reversibly docking the supply module to the analyzer using said
mount and a receiving interface comprised by the housing of the
analyzer
c) supplying from the supply module to the analyzer at least one
reagent and at least one solid consumable
d) unlocking the supply module from the analyzer and removing it
therefrom.
In contrast to other methods in the art, the method described
herein enables the skilled person using an automated analyzer to
reduce the time in which the system is idle due to resupply of
reagents and solid consumables and in some embodiments the disposal
of waste. In the method described herein, all required supplies are
delivered to the analyzer via a single supply module, thus enabling
one-step loading or exchange of liquids and solid consumables.
Furthermore, the required components can be loaded onto or prepared
in the supply module offline, i.e. separately from the analyzer and
hence not interfering with processing and/or analytic activities
performed by the analyzer. This measure further reduces the time in
which the analyzer is idle.
In addition to the simplified loading and unloading procedure,
transport of the consumable system components is also facilitated,
since they are all provided in one module. Embodiments in which the
supply module has enhanced mobility, e.g. being portable or
comprising wheels or the like, are particularly advantageous in
this respect. Such supply modules allow for fast and convenient
transport of the consumable system components, within a facility
such as a clinic, or even between facilities by shipping.
The supply modules described herein can be adapted to the needs of
a given automated analyzer. This accounts for the contents of the
supply modules, but also for their specific setup. In other words,
not only the specifically required consumable components such as
reagents and solid components, and in some embodiments the
respective waste containers, can be selected according to the
automated analyzer in question, but for instance also the supply
module's setup such as a specific docking system compatible with a
counterpart comprised by the respective automated analyzer.
In comparison to analyzers in which reagents and solid consumables
are spread throughout the system, the method described herein may
also contribute to efficient usage of the available space in an
automated analyzer, since only one interface is required. Thus, the
other parts or compartments of the automated analyzer can be
arranged without having to consider the respective space taken up
by the different reagents and solid consumables. Additionally, the
single interface has the advantage that the process of loading or
unloading is facilitated as compared to systems with multiple sites
for resupplying solid consumables and reagents and in some
embodiments collecting waste.
The one-step loading or unloading described above further reduces
the physical interaction between user and analyzer, thus minimizing
the risk of contamination for both user and analyzer/sample.
Consequently, supplying of solid consumables and reagents to the
analyzer and in some embodiments the collection of waste does not
demand an equally high level of training from the user as other
methods in the art. Furthermore, since each physical interaction
between user and automated analyzer is a potential error source,
for example, bearing the risk of loading reagents or solid
consumables onto the wrong module, the method described herein also
reduces the risk of human errors by minimizing physical
interaction.
As used herein, a "consumable" is understood to be a disposable
system component which is introduced recurrently into an analytical
system for use in an analytical test or the preparation of the
respective biological samples. A consumable may in some embodiments
be used a single time before being replaced, or it may in other
embodiments be used multiple times. The term "consumables", as used
herein, encompasses both liquid and solid consumables.
"Solid consumables" comprise components that need to be replaced
after one or several uses. Examples of solid consumables include
pipette tips, tip racks, vessels such as tubes or multiwell plates,
containers such as waste containers for solid and/or liquid waste,
cuvettes, caps or other closures for vessels or other containers,
and the like. A "set of solid consumables" means a group of solid
consumables of the same type, e.g. disposable pipette tips, or
sample vials of a specific type, or processing vessels, or analysis
vessels, and the like. In this respect, multiwell plates may be
used whose dimensions follow international standards such as the
SBS (Society for Biomolecular Sciences) or ANSI/SLAS (American
National Standards Institute/Society for Laboratory Automation and
Screening) standards.
The term "reagent" or "liquid consumable" are used interchangeably
herein and indicate a composition required for treatment of a
sample. Reagents may be any liquid, e.g. a solvent or a chemical
solution, which needs to be mixed with a sample and in some cases
with another reagent, for instance, for a reaction to occur which
may enable detection of an analyte. A reagent may, for example, be
a diluting liquid, including water. It may comprise an organic
solvent, it may comprise a detergent, or it may comprise a buffer
substance. Reagents may also be dry reagents adapted to be
dissolved by a sample, another reagent or a diluting liquid. A
reagent in the stricter sense of the term may be a liquid solution
containing a reactant, typically a compound or agent capable of
binding to or chemically transforming one or more analytes present
in a sample. Examples of reactants are enzymes, enzyme substrates,
conjugated dyes, protein-binding molecules, nucleic acid binding
molecules, nucleic acid amplification reagents such as primers,
probes or nucleoside triphosphates, antibodies, chelating agents,
promoters, inhibitors, epitopes, antigens, and the like. Further,
the term "reagents" may also comprise suspensions, such as
suspensions of binding particles for biological materials or other
particles. Reagents may further comprise emulsions. A reagent may
in the method described herein be transferred from the supply
module to the automated analyzer directly as a liquid, for example,
by pumping it through a tube system, or it may be transferred
contained inside a reagent container, the latter itself being a
solid consumable that may be removed from the analyzer when no
reagent is left therein.
The automated analyzer comprises a "housing" which at least
partially encloses the system components of the automated analyzer.
In some embodiments, the housing completely encloses the components
of the analyzer. The housing separates the components from the
outside of the analyzer and thus from potential sources of
contamination, possibly leading to false analytical results. On the
other hand, biological material such as clinical samples often
contain infectious agents, such that the housing also reduces the
risk of infection of the technical personnel with such material.
The housing can be made of a variety of materials including, for
example, metal and/or plastic. It can be transparent or
non-transparent, or it can comprise transparent elements such as a
window allowing a person to visually monitor certain processes
within the automated analyzer from the outside. The analyzer may
also comprise preanalytical components for preparation of a
biological sample. Performing both preanalytical preparation and
analysis of the prepared sample within the same housing minimizes
exposure of potentially infectious sample material and/or material
that is sensitive to contamination and facilitates the
workflow.
The housing comprises a "receiving interface", which constitutes a
gate that permits physical communication between the inside and the
outside of the analyzer. In some embodiments, the receiving
interface comprises a lid that can be manually or automatically
opened and closed in order to transfer components or samples in-
and outside of the automated analyzer. The receiving interface in
some embodiments comprises docking elements for facilitating the
docking of the supply module described herein. Such docking
elements may e.g. comprise mounts, cables, liquid connections,
tubes, pipes, sockets, hooks, magnets, and the like.
The "supply module" described herein is an exchangeable physical
component for an automated analyzer, the module carrying liquid and
solid consumables for supply or resupply of the automated analyzer.
The supply module is a container in which the liquid and solid
consumables are arranged in a predefined geometrical arrangement.
The supply module is not limited to a specific shape or material.
It can contain the consumables in one or more layers. Materials
that the supply module may be made of comprise metal or plastics
such as polypropylene (PP), or the like. The supply module can have
different shapes and geometries. It may be a sliding module such as
for instance a drawer, or a plug-in module like a cartridge. In
other embodiments, it may be a trolley that may comprise multiple
levels. Other variations and properties are possible, some of which
are exemplified herein.
As used herein, a "predefined geometrical arrangement" is the
structure in which the liquid consumables and the solid consumables
are assembled within the supply module. This structure allows the
analyzer to locate the position in which a consumable is held
without requiring a sensor or the like. However, such a sensor may
also be included in the analyzer. In some embodiments, the
predefined geometrical arrangement comprises columns and rows of
solid consumables and/or reagent containers which are in some
embodiments arranged perpendicular to each other. Such arrangements
are in some embodiments two-dimensional matrices of 3.times.4,
4.times.4, 3.times.6, 4.times.6, 6.times.6, 6.times.8, 8.times.8,
or other possible matrices. The predefined geometrical arrangement
may also extend into all three dimensions e.g. by stacking solid
consumables and/or reagent containers or by comprising multiple
levels like in embodiments in which the supply module is a trolley
with multiple shelves. Furthermore, the predefined geometrical
arrangement may relate to subgroups of the consumables held within
the supply module. For instance, vessels such as reaction vials may
be grouped in one structure such as a row, while racks containing
pipette tips may be arranged in a different row elsewhere in the
supply module. Again, such (sub)grouping may facilitate the
controlled retrieval of the consumables by a robotic transferring
device comprised by the automated analyzer, since the position of
the different consumables is known and can e.g. be transmitted to a
control unit and/or data management unit which is/are in some
embodiments comprised by the automated analyzer and/or the supply
module. Hence, as an example, multiple grouped consumables of the
same type, such as a plurality of reaction vials, can be retrieved
from the supply module into the analyzer in a quick and efficient
manner. In embodiments where the supply module also collects waste
from the analyzer, the waste container or containers within the
supply module may be also separated from the unused consumables to
be supplied to the analyzer, so as to further reduce the risk of
cross-contamination.
The "robotic transferring device" comprises at least a robotic
manipulator and/or a transfer system for solid consumables as
described herein. This is sufficient, for example, in embodiments
where no reagent is transferred from the supply module to the
automated analyzer such as by pressure difference like pumping or
suctioning through a fluidic connection like a tube system, but
where reagent is transferred by introducing a reagent container
filled with the respective reagent from the supply module into the
automated analyzer. In other embodiments, the robotic transferring
device further comprises a fluidic connection as described herein.
The robotic transferring device may for instance comprise a robotic
manipulator. In this context, a "robotic manipulator" is an
automated manipulator configured to manipulate solid consumables
including solid waste. In some embodiments, the robotic manipulator
is a gripper that picks up a solid consumable at a certain point
within the supply module and transfers it to the analyzer, or in
the case of solid waste, retrieves it from the automated analyzer
and transfers it to a solid waste container inside the supply
module. In some embodiments, it can be moved laterally (along an x-
and or y-axis) and vertically (along a z-axis). In some
embodiments, the robotic manipulator can be moved within a part or
all of the automated analyzer and/or the supply module. In order to
be moveable, the robotic manipulator can e.g. be flexibly suspended
and/or comprise a flexible robotic arm. For instance, the lateral
movement can be facilitated by a rotatable robotic arm fixed e.g.
to the bottom or the ceiling of the automated analyzer. Vertical
movement can e.g. be achieved by a telescope arm. Also, the robotic
manipulator can comprise a bipartite robotic arm rotatable at its
base e.g. at the bottom of the automated analyzer, wherein the two
parts of the arm are attached to each other via a hinge or another
type of joint. By combined movement of the hinge and rotation of
the arm at its base, the robotic manipulator may be moveable in all
directions. In order to handle solid consumables such as vessels or
vessel holders, it may comprise gripper arms. In such embodiments,
the robotic manipulator is a gripper. Alternatively or
additionally, the robotic manipulator can comprise means to apply a
vacuum or at least negative pressure. Such a structure can for
instance be or comprise a vacuum cup. In some embodiments, more
than one robotic manipulator is used. For instance, two, three or
four robotic manipulators may act simultaneously or at different
times. Also in some embodiments, the analyzer comprises a dedicated
robotic manipulator for each of the analyzer itself and the supply
module. Alternatively or additionally, the supply module may itself
comprise a robotic manipulator for transferring fresh solid
consumables into the analyzer and/or to collect waste from the
same. Robotic manipulators may also be used for transferring
reagents contained inside a container, such as for resupplying a
reagent to a work cell by transferring a respectively filled
container from the supply module to the work cell by a robotic
manipulator. The same accounts for the collection of solid waste in
the form of emptied reagent containers from the automated analyzer
to the supply module.
Other transfer mechanisms for solid consumables are possible. For
instance, either the automated analyzer, or the supply module, or
both may comprise a transfer system for solid consumables including
reagent containers. Such a transfer system may comprise or
essentially consist of a conveyor such as a band conveyor, a roller
conveyor, a pneumatic conveyor, a vibrating conveyor, a vertical
conveyor such as a lift, a spiral conveyor, or the like. The
transfer system can also comprise or essentially consist of a
surface with an integrated transport mechanism such as a hover
cushion or a magnetic surface. In other embodiments, the transfer
system can comprise or essentially consist of a rail system.
Combinations of the above-mentioned transfer systems are possible.
For instance, a robotic gripper comprised by the supply module
places a solid consumable retrieved from the supply module on a
conveyor band within the automated analyzer, and after transport on
the latter to a work cell, the solid consumable is picked up and
placed in the correct position within the work cell by a further
robotic gripper comprised by the automated analyzer.
A "control unit" of an automated analyzer or a supply module may be
a separate unit or may be an integral part of the respective
device. The control unit controls the automated analyzer in a way
that the necessary steps for the assay protocols are conducted.
That means the control unit, for example, instructs the automated
analyzer to conduct certain pipetting steps to mix the sample with
reagents or the control unit controls the automated analyzer to
incubate the sample mixtures for a certain time and the like. The
control unit may receive information from a data management unit
regarding which test has to be done with a certain sample and based
thereon may determine the steps the automated analyzer has to
perform. With regard to the management of consumables, the control
unit may monitor the amount and consumption of liquid and solid
consumables, for instance, by storing such data in a data
management unit and retrieving it therefrom. The control unit may
further monitor the status of liquid and solid consumables within
the automated analyzer. This may involve sensor systems, such as
liquid level detection (LLD) in reagent containers. LLD can be
performed using different principles, for instance, based on
capacitive, resistive, or (ultra)sonic measurements, or a
combination of the foregoing. For solid consumables,
electromechanical, optical or inductive sensor systems, or the
like, may be used. For instance, a light barrier in a predefined
space for a pipette tip rack may indicate to the control unit the
presence or absence of a pipette tip rack. Likewise, this
information may be obtained by a mechanical contact triggering an
electric signal, for example, by closing an electric circuit, by
changing electric properties like resistance, inductivity, or the
like. Sensor systems for monitoring both liquid and solid
consumables may include visual monitoring such as by a camera,
wherein a software of the control unit analyzes the images and
thereby recognizes the status of the consumables. For instance, the
camera may analyze the image of a rack filled with pipette tips by
counting the number of remaining pipette tips. Based on this
information, the control unit may determine when the exchange of
the corresponding rack is due, or in some embodiments also when it
is estimated to become due. This may likewise be achieved by a
logic employed by the control unit, wherein the control unit
monitors how many pipette tips have already been removed since the
corresponding rack was provided to the system bearing a complete
set, i.e. a known number, of pipette tips. In the case of a supply
module, the control unit may also comprise sensors as described for
the control unit of the automated analyzer. For instance, in
embodiments where liquid reagents are supplied from a container in
the supply module to the analyzer using a liquid connection such as
tubing or hoses, LLD in the supply module may monitor the fill
status of the respective container and determine when a refill or
exchange of that container becomes or is about to become due.
Similarly, electromechanical or optical sensors may determine the
presence or absence of specific solid consumables. Such embodiments
bear the advantage that the control unit of the supply module is
not dependent on information regarding the already transferred
amount of consumables in order to determine how many of the
respective consumables must still be present in the supply module.
For instance, it may be possible that certain consumables are
removed manually by laboratory personnel when the supply module is
in an offline mode and thus possibly does not detect the removal.
For those cases, it is advantageous if a sensor system detects and
indicates to the control unit of the supply module what quantity of
which type of consumables is present in the supply module. The
control unit of the supply module may also determine the transfer
of which consumables or in some embodiments waste needs to be
initiated, in some embodiments also based on information from a
data management unit. In embodiments where both the analyzer and
the supply module have a control unit, the respective control units
may electronically communicate with each other. This may be
achieved by an electronic communication link between the supply
module and the automated analyzer or their control units,
respectively. Such an electronic communication link may include
wiring or wireless data transfer such as by infrared, bluetooth, or
the like. A wireless connection bears the advantage of potential
communication even while the supply module may be physically
separated from the analyzer, such as when being refilled manually
or when being recharged at a battery recharging station. In
embodiments involving a communication link, the control unit of the
automated analyzer may analyze, as detailed above, which
consumables need to be provided, removed or exchanged, and in some
embodiments whether waste needs to be collected by the supply
module. This information may trigger a request from the control
unit of the automated analyzer to the control unit of the supply
module, such that the latter may provide, retrieve or exchange the
requested consumable or consumables. In turn, the supply module may
transmit information to the automated analyzer regarding which
consumables are available within the supply module and in what
quantity. This allows for a highly coordinated supply and/or
exchange of reagents and solid consumables, and for the timely
exchange of the supply module itself before or when it runs out of
unused consumables, or in some embodiments before or when the waste
container or containers of the supply module is or are full.
Besides such functions of recognition and inventory monitoring, the
electronic communication may also allow for surveillance of the
loading and unloading procedures, or for control and possibly
regulation of the temperature within the supply module and/or the
automated analyzer and/or the receiving interface comprised by the
housing of the analyzer.
In certain embodiments, the control unit might be integral with the
data management unit or may be embodied by a common hardware. The
control unit may be embodied as a programmable logic controller
running a computer-readable program, in some embodiments provided
with instructions to perform operations in accordance with a
process operation plan.
A "data management unit", in some embodiments by means of a "test
request database" comprised by it, allows relating sample tube
identification in the automated analyzer with the assay or assays
to be conducted with the sample contained in the sample tube. The
one or more analytical tests to be conducted with a particular
sample are called a test request. In the case of a supply module,
the data management unit may allow identification of the type and
location of solid consumables and reagents contained in the supply
module. This information may be dynamic, such that monitoring of
the type, location and number of consumables within the supply
module is possible, as described above. Likewise, the data
management unit may contain and update data regarding waste taken
up by the supply module from the automated analyzer. The data
management unit is in many embodiments connected to a LIS
(laboratory information system) and/or a HIS (hospital information
system). The data management unit (DMU) can be a unit within or
co-located with the automated analyzer or the supply module, e.g.
it can be part of the control unit. Alternatively the DMU can be a
unit remotely located from the analyzer or the supply module, e.g.
can be embodied in a computer connected via a network to the
automated analyzer. In some embodiments, an RFID chip may serve as
a data management unit. RFID chips are capable of storing
information readable and writable by RFID readers/writers that may
be comprised by the analyzer. For instance, the control unit of the
supply module may write, with an RFID writer, information about the
consumable it contains on an RFID chip with which the supply module
is tagged, and an RFID reader comprised by the analyzer may read
and analyze this information such that the control unit of the
analyzer may determine which of the consumables contained in the
supply module are needed by the analyzer and initiates the
respective transfer.
The supply module may further comprise a steering unit such as a
computer which may autonomously, i.e. without permanent external
steering, direct the supply module to the automated analyzer or
other places. For instance, the supply module may need to be
charged in embodiments involving an energy source such as a
rechargeable battery as a power supply for electronic functions
such as the control unit. Said control unit may recognize a low
charging status of the battery and thus trigger the steering unit
to direct the supply module to a charging station. Also in an
embodiment, the steering unit may direct the supply module from the
analyzer to a refill station in case it has to be refilled with
consumables or in case its waste containers are full and need to be
replaced. The supply module may replace or refill consumables, for
example, by means of a robotic transferring device as described
herein. The steering unit may, for convenience, also allow human
intervention by programming predetermined routes that need to be
routinely followed by the supply module, such as between the
analyzer and an automated refill station or a site of manual
refilling or exchanging. Such "intelligent" autonomous or
semi-autonomous supply modules further reduce the need of human
work force and increase the walk-away time for laboratory
staff.
"Reversibly docking" means attaching objects to each other with the
possibility of subsequent or later undocking. For instance, the
supply module can be reversibly docked to the analyzer by any
suitable "mount" such as latches, force fit (e.g. by
friction/sticky surfaces), form fit (e.g. bolting, bayonet
coupling, snap fitting, an undercut in the casting), hook-and-loop
fastening, pressure (e.g. exerted manually or by a robotic arm, or
applying a vacuum), magnetism, or other means. The supply module
can be reversibly docked to the analyzer either directly or
indirectly. "Reversibly docking" implies that the undocking can be
easily carried out without destroying or damaging any of the
involved objects.
In some embodiments of the method described herein, the supply
module further comprises at least one waste container, and step c)
further comprises collecting waste from the analyzer in at least
one waste container of the supply module.
The term "waste container", as used herein, means a container
arranged to receive waste collected from the analyzer. The waste
container can be a container for liquid or solid waste, while the
supply module described herein may contain only a liquid waste
container; only a solid waste container, or both, or none of the
above.
A "liquid waste container" is a container for collecting liquid
that is no longer needed in an isolation or analytic process. Such
a container can be made of different materials, comprising e.g.
metal or plastics, and is not restricted to a specific shape. If,
for example, the container is made of plastic, its production
process in some embodiments includes injection molding, such that
fastenings may be introduced during the production steps. The
container is in some embodiments made of polypropylene. As known to
the person skilled in the art, a suitable molding tool is used for
production of the liquid waste container. The material used for
producing a liquid waste container must be suitable to take up the
respective liquid or liquids, e.g. it must be sufficiently
resistant to acid in case the liquid waste produced by the analyzer
is known or expected to have a considerably acidic pH. Such
adaptions are within the knowledge of the person skilled in the
art.
A "solid waste container" is a container for solid elements that
are no longer needed in the analyzer. In many cases, this concerns
solid consumables used one or more times in a process within the
analyzer. As described previously, some solid consumables are used
only once and are then discarded in order to avoid
cross-contamination. Such solid waste is transferred from the
analyzer by a suitable mechanism such as a robotic gripper to the
supply module, where it is collected in a respective solid waste
container. As in the case of the liquid waste container, it can be
made of different materials, comprising e.g. metal or plastics. Its
shape and size are restricted only in so far as it has to fit into
the supply module and have dimensions that are sufficiently large
to take up the required type or types of solid waste from the
analyzer. For instance, if multiwell plates are to be discarded,
the dimensions of the waste container allow the transfer of at
least one multiwell plate into the solid waste container. In other
words, the waste container has dimensions which are not smaller
than the discarded solid consumables it is intended to take up. In
this respect, multiwell plates may be used whose dimensions follow
international standards such as the SBS (Society for Biomolecular
Sciences) or ANSI/SLAS (American National Standards
Institute/Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening)
standards.
Such embodiments further increase the number of advantages
conferred by the method described herein. In addition to the
simplified workflow, transport etc. relating to loading fresh
consumables into the analyzer, the workflow may be further
streamlined by including the disposal of solid and/or liquid waste
in the method. As described above, a reduced number of physical
interventions between user and system contribute to the reduction
of errors and contamination of both analyzer and technical
personnel. This also accounts for the procedure of waste disposal.
In embodiments where the same supply module is responsible for the
supply of fresh consumables as well as the disposal of used
consumables, the procedures may be performed in a coordinated
manner. For instance, if a used multiwell plate is discarded from
the analyzer into the solid waste container of the supply module,
then a control and/or data management unit comprised by the
analyzer and/or the supply module may initiate the supply of a
fresh multiwell plate from the supply module to the analyzer.
Similarly, the disposal of waste fluid from the analyzer into the
liquid waste container of the supply module may be coordinated with
the resupply of fresh fluid from the supply module to the
analyzer.
While reagents may be supplied from the supply module to the
analyzer by transferring a respective reagent container, in some
embodiments the reagent container remains within the supply module
and only the reagent is transferred as a liquid.
In such embodiments of the method described herein, step b) further
comprises establishing a fluidic connection between the supply
module and the analyzer, and step d) further comprises detaching
said fluid connection between the supply module and the
analyzer.
Such a "fluidic connection" can be part of the robotic transferring
device as described herein, or it can be a separate connection. It
may be established by a variety of measures. For instance,
connectors such as liquid-tight tubes or hoses may be used for
transferring fresh reagents from supply module to analyzer and
liquid waste from analyzer to supply module. These connectors may,
for instance, be plugged to or into a port comprised by the supply
module at one end and to a port comprised by the analyzer at the
other end. In some embodiments, at least one of the ports comprises
a valve. In some embodiments, a connector is plugged into a port
comprised by a liquid waste container of the supply module at one
end, and into a port comprised by a waste station of the analyzer
at the other end. Accordingly, another connector may be plugged
into a port comprised by a reagent container of the supply module
at one end, and into a port comprised by a work cell of the
analyzer at the other end. The fluidic connection is not restricted
to pluggable connections, but may also comprise, for example, screw
mechanisms. In some embodiments, the connection between connector
and port is established with the help of a bracelet which is in
some embodiments a ferrule.
"Ferrules" are mostly narrow circular rings made from metal, or
less commonly, plastic. Most ferrules consist of a circular clamp
used to hold together and attach fibers, wires, or posts, generally
by crimping, swaging, or otherwise deforming the ferrule to
permanently tighten it onto the parts that it holds.
In some embodiments, the automated analyzer comprises a waste
station.
A "waste station" is the part of the automated analyzer where
liquid and/or solid waste is collected. An automated analyzer may
either comprise one waste station for both liquid and solid waste,
which may be still collected separately within the waste station,
or it may comprise a waste station for liquid waste and a separate
waste station for solid waste. The waste station or stations are in
some embodiments positioned next to the supply module when the
latter is docked to the analyzer. In such embodiments, the transfer
of the waste from the waste station to the supply module involves
only a short distance.
Alternatively, the automated analyzer may function without a
dedicated waste station. In such embodiments, waste incurring
within the automated analyzer may be directly transferred from the
place where it incurs to the respective waste container of the
supply module.
In some embodiments, solid waste is transferred from the automated
analyzer to the supply module by a robotic manipulator comprised by
the automated analyzer. As described above, this can occur either
as a transfer from a waste station to the supply module, or the
robotic manipulator may collect the solid waste directly at the
site where it incurs, such as in the case of a sample tube or a
reaction vessel that has been processed in a work cell.
A "work cell" is a module of the automated analyzer assisting users
with processing vessels containing samples such as biological
samples, and thus ultimately the samples themselves. "Processing"
means either detection, e.g. qualitative and/or quantitative
evaluation of samples for diagnostic purposes, and/or sorting
and/or preparation of samples before detection, or storing and/or
disposal of samples after detection. In particular, a work cell may
be related to analytical and/or to pre-analytical and/or to
post-analytical sample processing steps. Work cells may be
connected to each other and depend at least in part on each other,
e.g. each carrying out a dedicated task of a sample processing
workflow, which may be a prerequisite before proceeding to another
work cell. Alternatively, work cells may work independently from
each other, e.g. each carrying out a separate task, e.g. a
different type of analysis on the same sample or a different
sample. In general, a work cell may comprise units for loading
and/or unloading and/or transporting and/or storing sample tubes or
racks comprising sample tubes or multiwell plates, units for
loading and/or unloading and/or transporting and/or storing reagent
containers or cassettes, units for loading and/or unloading and/or
transporting and/or storing and/or washing reagent vessels, e.g.
cuvettes, units for loading and/or unloading and/or transporting
and/or storing pipette tips or tip racks. It may comprise
identification units comprising sensors, e.g. barcode or RFID
readers. It may comprise wash stations for washing pipette tips or
needles or reaction vessels, e.g. cuvettes, mixing paddles, or the
like. The work-cell may further comprise one or more incubation
units for maintaining sample/reagent mixtures at a certain
temperature during reaction. The work cell may comprise a
thermocycler for subjecting a sample to repeated temperature cycles
and/or varying temperature conditions. Such a thermocycler may be
particularly useful in the case of an analytical work cell, e.g.
for conducting a polymerase chain reaction.
In an automated analyzer, a major part of the waste often incurs
within the work cell or work cells. For instance, when a biological
sample is prepared for chemical or biochemical such as
immunochemical or nucleic acid analysis, typically isolation of a
certain analyte is carried out. In some cases, nucleic acid as an
analyte may be extracted from a biological sample by lysing cells
or viral particles harboring it. This procedure often requires a
lysis reagent and wash buffers, especially when a solid support for
binding nucleic acids is involved. Such liquids are "consumed"
during the procedure, meaning they are used e.g. for lysis and
washing and subsequently need to be removed from the analyte to be
isolated. The removed liquids are then discarded in order not to
remain within the work cell, where they take up space and may
constitute a potential source of cross-contamination. Hence, the
liquids may be withdrawn from the sample tube or reaction vessel by
a pipette using disposable pipette tips and be transferred either
directly to a liquid waste container comprised by the supply
module, e.g. via fluid connectors as described above, or first be
transferred to a liquid waste container comprised by a waste
station within the analyzer, using fluid connections as described
for the connections between the supply module and parts of the
analyzer. In the latter embodiment, liquid waste may be collected
from different work cells and pooled in the waste station and then
be centrally transferred to the supply module. This embodiment
reduces the number of fluid connectors required between supply
module and automated analyzer.
In some embodiments of the method described herein, step c)
comprises collecting liquid waste in at least one waste container
via the fluidic connection between the supply module and the
analyzer.
Analogously, solid waste such as the disposable pipette tips
mentioned above may be transferred directly from a work cell of the
automated analyzer to a solid waste container of the supply module,
or it may be first transferred within the automated analyzer from
the work cell to a solid waste container comprised by the waste
station of the analyzer, and then to the supply module as a bulk of
solid waste, with the advantages mentioned in the context of liquid
waste. Suitable transfer mechanisms for solid waste include the
robotic transferring device described herein.
In embodiments where the automated analyzer comprises one or more
waste containers for liquid and/or solid waste, it may also be
possible that the complete respective waste containers including
the waste contained therein are transferred from the automated
analyzer, e.g. from the waste station of the latter, to the supply
module. In these cases, the supply module may provide one or more
empty unused waste containers to the automated analyzer.
Further, the supply module may either be replaced with a new supply
module, or the current supply module may be undocked from the
automated analyzer in order to be loaded with new, unused
consumables, and in some embodiments in order remove collected
waste from its waste container or containers.
Hence, in some embodiments the method described herein further
comprises after step d) exchanging or re-filling at least one solid
consumable and at least one reagent within the supply module and
repeating steps b) to d).
Also in some embodiments, the at least one set of solid consumables
within the supply module comprises one or more of the following
solid consumables: reaction vessels pipette tips sample tubes
cuvettes caps for reaction vessels caps for sample tubes binding
particles for binding biological material filters.
Since the supply module contains reagents that may be
temperature-sensitive, as well as in some embodiments other
temperature-sensitive components, the supply module in some
embodiments comprises a cooling system. Possible cooling systems
are known to the person skilled in the art and include, without
being limited to, air-conditioning, heat sinks, on-board fans,
liquid cooling systems, and the like.
The supply module may in some embodiments further comprise an
electronic visual display for user guidance. Such guidance may be
provided, for example, when docking the supply module to the
automated analyzer, or during manual exchange of the consumables in
the supply module. In such embodiments, the workflow is further
simplified and less training for the user is required. In addition,
important information about the current content of the supply
module may be shown on the display. The user may be provided with
data regarding the number and type of the specific consumables
currently available in the supply module. This information may be
provided by a control unit and/or data management unit of the
supply module.
Such an electronic visual display may likewise be comprised by the
automated analyzer. A display included by the automated analyzer
may inform the user about the processes performed within the
analyzer. In the context of the method, system and module described
herein, the display may show information regarding the status of
consumables within the analyzer. The display may inform the user
about a specific type of consumable to be supplied. In embodiments
involving an electronic communication link between the supply
module and the automated analyzer or their respective control
units, the display of the automated analyzer may also show
information about the supply module, such as status and
availability of the consumables contained in the supply module.
Further, it may be possible to manipulate the supply module docked
to the automated analyzer by using the display of the automated
analyzer. The automated analyzer may include means for manipulating
a supply module if docked, such as dedicated buttons, or the
display of the automated analyzer may itself be a touchscreen.
An electronic visual display may be based on technologies like
light emission (e.g. in liquid crystal displays (LCD)), or
electroluminescence (e.g. in the case of light emitting diodes (LED
or OLED)), or photoluminescence (e.g. plasma display panels (PDP)),
or the like. The electronic visual display may also be a
touchscreen, such that the automated analyzer and/or the supply
module may be directly manipulated via the display.
In another aspect, a system is described herein for supplying
consumables to an automated analyzer, the system comprising the
following modules: a supply module comprising in a predefined
geometrical arrangement at least one reagent and at least one set
of solid consumables, and further comprising a mount for reversibly
docking the supply module to the automated analyzer an automated
analyzer comprising a housing, the housing comprising a receiving
interface for the supply module a work cell within the automated
analyzer, the work cell being adapted to process a biological
sample that may contain an analyte a transfer module comprising a
robotic transferring device for retrieving the at least one reagent
and/or the solid consumables from the supply module and
transporting the at least one reagent and/or the solid consumables
within the automated analyzer.
The term "biological sample" refers to a material that may
potentially contain an analyte of interest. The sample can be
derived from any biological source, such as a physiological fluid,
including blood, saliva, ocular lens fluid, cerebrospinal fluid,
sweat, urine, milk, ascites fluid, mucous, synovial fluid,
peritoneal fluid, amniotic fluid, tissue, cells, or the like. The
test sample can be pretreated prior to use, such as preparing
plasma from blood, diluting viscous fluids, lysis or the like.
Methods of treatment can involve filtration, distillation,
concentration, inactivation of interfering components, and the
addition of reagents. A biological sample may be used directly as
obtained from the source or following a pretreatment to modify the
character of the sample, e.g. after being diluted with another
solution or after having been mixed with reagents e.g. to carry out
one or more diagnostic assays like e.g. clinical chemistry assays,
immunoassays, coagulation assays, nucleic acid testing, etc.
An "analyte" is a molecule for the detection of which analysis is
conducted. Often the presence or absence of an analyte allows a
medical doctor to render a diagnostic decision, i.e. to determine
if the patient has a certain disease. In many cases such a
diagnostic decision, however, cannot be drawn based on one analyte
alone but two or more analytes have to be seen together or the
result for an analyte has to be seen in the context of the clinical
situation of a patient. Analytes may comprise e.g. nucleic acids,
proteins, peptides, antigens, lipids, carbohydrates, glycolipids,
whole cells or viral particles, or the like.
In some embodiments, the supply module further comprises at least
one waste container, and the robotic transferring device is further
adapted to collect waste from the automated analyzer in at least
one waste container comprised by the supply module.
The parallelization of (re)supply and wasting bears the advantages
disclosed in the context of the method described herein.
In some embodiments, the system described herein further comprises
a fluidic connection between the supply module and the analyzer,
wherein in some embodiments the fluidic connection between the
supply module and the analyzer is arranged to supply reagent from
the supply module to the analyzer and/or to collect fluid waste
from the analyzer in the at least one waste container comprised by
the supply module.
In further embodiments, the system described herein further
comprises a display on the supply module and/or the automated
analyzer, as disclosed in the context of the method described
herein.
In some embodiments of the system described herein, the automated
analyzer and/or the supply module further comprises a control unit
and/or a data management unit.
In such embodiments, the system may comprise an electronic
communication link between the supply module and the automated
analyzer, with the advantages disclosed in the context of the
method described herein.
A further aspect described herein is a supply module for supplying
consumables to an automated analyzer, the supply module comprising:
at least one reagent and at least one set of solid consumables in a
predefined geometrical arrangement a mount for reversibly docking
the supply module to the automated analyzer.
In some embodiments, the supply module described herein further
comprises at least one waste container.
Also in some embodiments of the supply module described herein, the
at least one set of solid consumables within the supply module
comprises one or more of the following solid consumables: reaction
vessels, pipette tips, sample tubes, cuvettes, caps for reaction
vessels, caps for sample tubes, and filters.
In some embodiments, the supply module described herein further
comprises a steering unit for autonomously or semi-autonomously
moving the supply module, as described herein.
In further embodiments, the supply module described herein further
comprises a cooling unit.
Any embodiments as exemplified in the context of the method
described herein are applicable as well to the system and the
supply module described herein.
It is understood that one or more of the aforementioned embodiments
of the subject matter may be combined as long as the combined
embodiments are not mutually exclusive.
The following non-limiting examples illustrate certain embodiments
of the present subject matter.
EXAMPLES
In the following, examples are provided in order to display certain
embodiments and to exemplify the subject matter described herein.
It is to be understood that also other embodiments are comprised by
the scope of the subject matter, as known by the person skilled in
the art.
Detailed Description of the Figure
The supply module (1) depicted herein comprises elements of a
drawer, such as a handle (2) for manually pulling the supply module
(1) out of the analyzer or pushing it therein. The supply module
further includes wheels (3) providing it with characteristics of a
trolley. The wheels (3) may be passive and of purely mechanical
nature, i.e. they may enable rolling the trolley by means of human
force. In other embodiments, the wheels (3) may be connected to an
actuator permitting movement of the supply module (1) without
applying external force. The wheels (3) may be directionally fixed,
or they may be rotatable around a rotational axis in order to
facilitate directional changes of the moving supply module (1).
The supply module (1) further comprises mounts (4) for reversibly
docking the supply module (1) to an automated analyzer by engaging
the mounts (4) to a suitable structure comprised by the automated
analyzer. In the depicted embodiment, the mounts (4) may be engaged
to corresponding recesses within the analyzer after introducing the
drawer (1) into the analyzer via a receiving interface of the
latter. The recesses may include electric contacts for indicating
to the control unit of the analyzer whether a supply module (1) is
currently docked to the analyzer or not. The drawer (1) may be
introduced into the analyzer until all consumables are within the
housing of the analyzer, i.e., only the part of the supply module
(1) comprising or forming the handle (2) would face the exterior of
the analyzer. Thus, robotic transferring devices such as
manipulators like grippers may reach the consumables of the supply
module (1) within the analyzer, such that the housing of the
analyzer protects the consumables from contamination. In some
embodiments, the supply module (1) itself comprises a cover or a
housing which may be removed prior to docking the supply module (1)
to the analyzer, either automatically or manually. In other
embodiments, the cover or housing of the supply module (1) may be
still in place when introducing the supply module (1) into the
analyzer. In these cases, the supply module (1) may include
interfaces such as windows which may be opened mechanically upon
introduction of the supply module (1), for example, by a hook
comprised by the receiving interface of the housing, wherein the
hook slides a window of the supply module (1) open during movement
of the supply module (1) from the exterior towards the interior of
the analyzer.
The supply module (1) in this embodiment comprises a cooling unit
(5) for maintaining a suitable temperature within the supply module
(1) and thereby stabilizing particularly the reagents (18, 29)
contained therein. The cooling unit (5) may, for example, include
Peltier elements and/or a fan. The FIGURE shows an embodiment in
which liquid consumables (18, 19) and solid consumables (16) are
kept in separate compartments. The liquid consumables (18, 19) are
stored in the compartment comprising the cooling unit (5). The
curved arrow indicates the stream of cooled air originating from
the cooling unit (5) and cooling the containers with liquid
consumables (18, 19). The liquid consumables (18, 19) in this
embodiment include reagents (19) and a suspension of binding
particles (18) in their respective containers. These containers are
arranged according to a pre-determined geometry, thus allowing a
robotic transferring device comprised by the analyzer and/or the
supply module (1) itself to easily locate and retrieve, introduce
or exchange the respective container.
Containers (17) carrying solid consumables (16) are held within a
slider (6) moveable on rails (7). This sliding structure may
facilitate manual loading or exchanging of the solid consumables
(16) outside of the analyzer. The solid consumables (16), which may
comprise racks of pipette tips, cuvettes, multiwell plates, or the
like, are in this embodiment conveyed vertically in their
containers (17) by an elevator (8). When solid consumables (16)
have been retrieved from their containers (17), the elevator (8)
may move further solid consumables (16) upwards toward the opening
of the container (17), such that a robotic manipulator like a
gripper may retrieve the solid consumable (16) from the container
(17).
The supply module (1) further comprises a control unit (9) that
manages functions and monitors the contents of the supply module
(1) as described herein. The control unit (9) may also comprise a
steering unit for autonomously or semi-autonomously moving the
supply module (1), for example, by actuating the wheels (3) in the
desired direction.
Human interaction is facilitated in this embodiment by a button
(10) that may be pressed by a user. This button (10) may have
different functions ranging from switching the entire electronics
of the supply module (1) on or off to performing an "enter"
function in an interactive computer menu. Such a menu may be shown
to a user via a display (13), while the user may move a cursor on
the display (13) by using separate buttons (11, 12). Further
displays (14, 15) may inform the user about, for instance, the
temperature within the reagent compartment, the fill status of the
containers (17) with the solid consumables (16), charging status of
a battery powering the supply module (1), and the like.
The supply module (1) in this embodiment further comprises solid
waste containers (23) arranged on the slider (6) opposite of the
solid consumable containers (17), wherein the different containers
(23, 17) are separated from each other by the elevator mechanism
(8). Hence, pulling out the slider (6) provides easy access for the
user to both the solid waste and solid consumables (16).
Further comprised by the supply module (1) are liquid waste
containers (20) each having a port (21) and a tube (22) for
establishing a fluidic connection between the analyzer and the
waste containers (20). The tubes (22) extend from the ports (21) to
and through the mounts (4), such that the mounts (4) in this
embodiment also contribute to establishing a fluidic connection
with the analyzer. The respective recesses of the analyzer for
receiving the mounts (4) may also be or comprise ports such that
the fluidic connection is extended from the tubes (22) of the
supply module (1) into and throughout the analyzer. For instance,
one or more of the four depicted liquid waste containers (20) may
receive liquid waste from a liquid waste station of the analyzer
via the fluidic connection comprising port (21), mount (4) and tube
(22) of the supply module (1) and their respective counterparts
included by the analyzer. In other embodiments, some or all of the
containers (20) may contain fresh reagents. In these cases, the
fluidic connection may be used for transferring the reagents to a
respective counterpart in the analyzer. For instance, purified
water or a system buffer may be provided from a container (20) to a
work cell within the analyzer.
While the foregoing embodiments have been described in some detail
for purposes of clarity and understanding, it will be clear to one
skilled in the art from a reading of this disclosure that various
changes in form and detail can be made without departing from the
true scope of the invention. For example, all the techniques and
apparatus described above can be used in various combinations. All
publications, patents, patent applications, and/or other documents
cited in this application are incorporated by reference in their
entirety for all purposes to the same extent as if each individual
publication, patent, patent application, and/or other document were
individually indicated to be incorporated by reference for all
purposes.
* * * * *